Utility rate increases from Fort Worth
Summary
Fort Worth is raising the city's water purchase cost 15% and wastewater 18%. Staff will bring back a rate ordinance update so the utility fund doesn't run a deficit — expect residents to see changes on their water bills.
At a glance
- Total mentions
- 9
- Last 30 days
- 1
Rising — discussed at 3 meetings since Sep 14, 2026, up from 2 in the two months before.
Impact analysis
Water bills will likely rise as pass-through costs from Fort Worth are captured in updated rates.
The utility fund's solvency.
Water and sewer customers face higher bills.
Mentions & discussions (9)
City Council - Oct 26, 2026
Your water bill goes up a bit this year — about $2 a month for a typical 2,000-gallon customer, more for heavy users — because wholesale costs from Fort Worth and TRA rose. It's far less than the 2024 study projected, and the city is adopting a tool to model rates in real time.
City Council - Sep 28, 2026
Dry, shifting ground caused 11 water line breaks since May. Staff are replacing 20-40 foot problem sections rather than repeatedly clamping them, saving money long term.
City Council - Sep 14, 2026
The council was scheduled to discuss utility rate changes for next fiscal year and a draft update to the city's fee schedule — both could affect household bills and the cost of city services.
City Council - Aug 17, 2026
Fort Worth is raising wholesale water prices 15% and sewer 18%, with TRA adding just over 3% — costs that will pass through to every wholesale customer city. Staff may absorb some with cash reserves rather than raising local rates, and a future utility rate study will be brought to council.
City Council - Jul 27, 2026
Fort Worth is raising the city's water purchase cost 15% and wastewater 18%. Staff will bring back a rate ordinance update so the utility fund doesn't run a deficit — expect residents to see changes on their water bills.
City Council - Apr 27, 2026
Instead of tweaking fees piecemeal, staff will audit every city fee against actual cost of service and bring one ordinance with the October budget — fixing errors in a flawed earlier rate ordinance along the way.
City Council - Mar 23, 2026
Fort Worth is raising water and sewer impact fees on new development in two phases (October 2025 and October 2026), and Richland Hills must mirror the rates in its own ordinance — a combined fee for a typical 3/4-inch meter climbs from $8,256 to $8,742 next October. Existing residents aren't affected unless they add a meter, and the city determined it's not worth a ~$150,000 study to add local fees on top.
City Council - Mar 9, 2026
The council was to discuss a study of water and wastewater rates, which could shape future utility bills for every household and business in the city.
City Council - Feb 9, 2026
Water and wastewater bills are going up as step two of a four-year rate plan — about 5% on base fees and a 38.7% jump in the wastewater volume rate over 2,000 gallons. Heavy water users feel it most, but the city says the average bill rises only a few percent and winter averaging shields summer yard watering.
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